How to in-text citation three authors is an essential skill for students and researchers who need to reference multiple sources in their academic writing. Proper citation not only gives credit to the original authors but also helps readers locate the sources easily. In this article, we will discuss the different methods of in-text citation for three authors and provide examples to illustrate each method.
In-text citation with three authors involves using the last names of all three authors followed by the year of publication. There are two common ways to format this citation: the author-date method and the author-title method.
Author-date method:
The author-date method is the most widely used format for in-text citation. In this method, you list the last names of the three authors followed by the year of publication in parentheses. For example:
– (Smith, Johnson, & Brown, 2020)
– (Smith, Johnson, & Brown, 2021)
If you need to mention the authors in the text, you can use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” (meaning “and others”) and the year of publication. For example:
– According to Smith et al. (2020), the results indicate…
Author-title method:
The author-title method involves listing the last names of the three authors followed by the title of the source in quotation marks and the year of publication in parentheses. For example:
– (Smith, Johnson, & Brown, “The Impact of Climate Change,” 2020)
– (Smith, Johnson, & Brown, “The Effects of Social Media,” 2021)
When mentioning the authors in the text, you can use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” and the title of the source. For example:
– As Smith et al. (2020) argue, the evidence suggests…
In addition to the above methods, it is important to note that when citing three authors, you should also include the page number if you are referencing a specific part of the source. For example:
– (Smith, Johnson, & Brown, 2020, p. 45)
By following these guidelines, you can effectively in-text cite three authors in your academic writing. Remember to always check the specific citation style required by your institution or publisher, as formatting may vary.
